Ben-Wah Balsamic Meatballs

Ben-Wah Balsamic Meatballs

This great sweet and sour combination is served on toasted quinoa served in Pilaf style with mushrooms and green peppers.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 ½ lbs ground beef

1 Large egg

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup oats

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Sauce:

1 20oz can of crushed pineapple in juice

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 tbls cornstarch

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbls Worcestershire sauce (low sodium)

Quinoa bed:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups beef stock

½ cup mushroom stems and pieces

½ cup diced green pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350

Mix together the ingredients for the meatballs loosely, with a big wooden spoon.

Shape into balls approximately 1 inch wide or so. Be careful not to overwork these. The more you squeeze them, the more likely they will turn out rubbery.

Heat 2 tbls oil in saute pan. Add meatballs to roll around on the heat. All they need here is to get a bit brown on the outside. I do it in 2 or 3 batches. When you are satisfied with the color place them in baking pan and put in oven for about 25 minutes.

 

While that is in the oven, mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, lower5 the temperature to a simmer and let thicken for about 8 minutes.

Then take meatballs out of oven and with about 5 sheets of paper towels all rolled together, blot up most of the grease and water out of the meat pan.

Pour the sauce over them and put back in oven to cook the sauce into the meat.

In a large frying pan on medium heat toast the dry quinoa. Just keep stirring this around until you start to smell that rich nutty aroma. In will take 5 to 8 minutes. This adds a new dimension to the taste. If you like you could add some smashed garlic, but it is not necessary. Add the mushrooms and diced green peppers and stir in 2 cups of beef stock. Once this starts to boil reduce heat to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed into the quinoa.

 

  

Slave chose to serve this with some simple steamed sugar snap peas.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork and lay out a bed for the meatballs on the individual plates.

The taste of balsamic vinegar and pineapple make a wonderful unsuspected sweet and sour blend. Toasting the quinoa then adds just the right touch to impress. Then just sit back and shut-up! You know how very healthy this is for your Master even as the sweetness of the sauce satisfies a “comfort” need.

Then the rest of the night, well that's up to Master.

Master's property,

socialslave

To satisfy and restore. To nourish, support and maintain. To gratify, spoil, comfort and please, to nurture, assist, and sustain …..I cook!